1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to Jump ropes or skip ropes and more particularly to weighted jump rope and skip rope handles for the development of the muscular structure of the hand, wrist and forearm of the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous disclosures of exercise weights may be found in the patent literature including the weights and equipment disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,138,196; 1,366,200; 1,422,888; 1,917,566; 3,311,374; 3,334,899 and 3,756,597. Also, the prior art discloses designs for jumping or skipping ropes with weighted handles and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,719,038 granted to S. Massa and 4,079,932 granted to R. W. Schuetz disclose skipping ropes having variable weight handles. The handle design of the Massa patent places substantially all of the handle weight and all of the additional or variable weights at the forward end (rope attaching end) of each grip handle. The Schuetz variable weight handle design includes a chamber filled with a measured quantity of water or other fluent material with such chamber disposed outwardly from the grip portion of the handle and thus outwardly of the gripping hand of the user. Although the Schuetz handle design provides small steps of weight adjustment over a weight range, it is difficult to balance or adjust the weight of the handles evenly without the use of a scale. Further, there is a fluid sloshing movement within the handles when the fluid chamber of each handle is not filled with the fluent material.
The foregoing prior art designs for skip rope or jump rope handles do not provide the advantages of the present invention in terms of weight balance in the user's hands and overall balance, convenience, safety and flexibility of use and application for the development of muscle structure and arm to leg coordination.